Our villagers plant trees and our children learn how trees help us prosper

The children helped carry tree seedlings, in the process learning how important trees are to the health of our planet. We planted Grivela robusta because it is friendly to the crops. We are reforesting the bare field. In our village, it takes a child to raise a forest as they will be the caretakers of these trees long after we have passed on.

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.

~Abram L. Urban

May your harvest be rich and bumper!

Teaching our Youth about HIV/AIDS in Kenya's Rift Valley

It is raining here in Kenya, and it’s the best time for women and men in our communities to put seed in the ground and begin to nurture it 'til it matures. In this way, we do our part to assure a bumper harvest in future.
This weekend OTEPIC did some nurturing of our youth through Youth C.R.E.W. (Cultivating Respect for the Environment and the World). We organized an HIV/AIDS campaign for the residents of Mitume and taught about the dangers of HIV/AIDS.
We instructed the young people about prevention as well as how to care for AIDS patients. Youths came in large numbers to learn and to enjoy music, a dancing and singing competition, poetry recitations and plays. I believe that the youths bring people down to earth. They encourage us to learn the ways of our grandparents, and in doing so, help our nation and civilization to rest upon the strong foundation our ancestors created.

Making Charcoal Briquettes in Kenya

Our community came together to make charcoal briquettes and show our guests, including Deborah who was visiting from Switzerland, how to go about making these magical orbs. We collect charcoal dust that would ordinarily be thrown away and then combine it with materials such as grass, corn cobs, etc. We all work together wetting the material and making orbs that we leave to dry in the sun. The combination of materials in the briquettes makes them burn hot and well, and we have created something useful and environmentally friendly out of what would ordinarily be considered trash.

Our Village Tends the Garden

Our garden is growing, and we are grateful. The row of spider herbs forms a beautiful pattern. We are growing "gardens in a bag". See how bountiful our portable garden is! Eric is tending the onions, and we had a visitor from Switzerland, Deborah, who is an environmental student.

Kenyan farmers plant and tend compost in community classes

We are determined to reach many people by teaching sustainable farming even though our community is going through hard times. Recently I read a book about the shakers that really encouraged me:

"The shakers were practical idealists. They did not dream vaguely of the conditions they would like to see realized. They went to work to make these conditions an actuality. They wasted no time on raging against competitive society or in complaining bitterly that they had no power to change it. Instead they build a domain of their own, where they could arrange their lives to their liking.”

Over time and with continued effort, I know we will succeed. Thank you very much for being with us during this difficult time. Attached are pictures of another farmers training that we did.
In solidarity, in friendship, in hope for a better tomorrow . . ..Philip

Training farmers in biointensive farming in Kenya

Our second farmers training has taken place at our demonstration center and now we have taught a good number of farmers and continue to teach more. We do follow up training to ensure that farmers are able to push through the clay and cultivate a new world. Donations toward our work are greatly appreciated.

In solidarity, in friendship and in hope for a better tomorrow,

Philip

Please endorse my idea for Earth Orbs!

Remember the blog I posted about the briquettes we created from waste charcoal and corn cobs? (See blog post for April 18, 2009.) I have entered a contest sponsored by the Peace Corp Association to obtain funding to travel from village to village to train people about how to make these briquettes, which we are calling "Earth Orbs."

Our simple technique for making charcoal Earth Orbs saves trees, creates income sources for villagers and recycles "garbage" into a valuable product. Through our training we expect to model the positive effects of organizing and empowering our communities.
Would you please endorse my idea here: http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org/view/977

If we manage to get enough votes, we will be awarded the money to carry out our project. Thanks, and please tell your friends!